We see that sparkler on your finger, which means you’re engaged. And, amidst all of your excitement — oh my god, you’re getting married — you also have to realize that there’s a lot of planning you’re going to have to do in the next couple of months.
The only thing is, you just don’t know where to start, but that’s where we come in. Here’s a comprehensive list of all you should accomplish in the months after you’re engaged and before you’re married. Get ready: it’s going to be a busy, beautiful, unforgettable time of your life — let’s get started.
Celebrate Solo
You’ve probably already snapped pictures of your ring, shared them with loved ones and maybe even posted them on social media. Still, make a point to celebrate your engagement with your new fiancé before you dive into the rest of your engagement and pre-wedding responsibilities. This is the beginning of a busy time for you both, so enjoy a loved-up dinner date or weekend away before getting started.
We curled with a tin of personalised engagement biscuits from Biscuiteers and made a list of places we would research for potential honeymoon ideas. There are so many places we’d love to travel to, so it was really exciting scribbling down a list of all the countries we could go to. These are undoubtedly the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten in my entire life – they’re so moreish! I am biased, as biscuits are my vice, but even my fiancé agrees!
Tell People in the Right Order
We’ve already touched on the sharing-of-the-ring Instagram, and you’re certainly free to post one. Just make sure you’ve alerted your nearest and dearest so that they’re not finding out online.
A good rule of thumb is to start with your and your fiancé’s parents. If you can, divulge the news in person. Of course, not every engagement happens while you’re home or near to your family. In that case, hop onto FaceTime or another video-calling service so that you can see everyone’s faces when they find out you’re engaged.
Then, tell everyone else who has to hear it directly from you: siblings, best friends, grandparents… whoever should know before the general public. Then — and only then — should you break your engagement news on social media.
Plan an Engagement Party
Now that you’ve taken time to celebrate with your fiancé and told everyone closest to you, it’s time to plan an engagement party! This isn’t necessary for every couple — some prefer to stick to bachelor(ette) parties, wedding showers and the actual wedding — but others like to kick off the wedding festivities with an engagement celebration.
Typically, the bride’s parents are in charge of planning an engagement party, but you don’t have to stick to this trend. Like your wedding, your tastes will be different from the next bride-to-be, so don’t feel as though you have to conform to tradition. Invite your best friends and family members and it’s sure to be perfect.
**PSST** Need some inspiration for tasty treats at your engagement party? Just sayin’..
Come Up With a General Timeline
At your engagement party, a lot of guests probably asked when you’d be walking down the aisle. You don’t know this, of course — you just got engaged. However, once the post-engagement excitement starts to wane, you should begin to map out your planning timeline.
You won’t be able to choose a particular date and run with it. But choosing a few weekends or a month in which you’d like to have your wedding is a great start. Booking your venue will be the deciding factor in the date for your wedding, so, unless you want to get married on a date that’s special for you and your significant other, you can’t set a date until your venue okays your nuptials.
Once you know around when you’re getting married, it’s time to start laying out how you’ll prep for the big day. You can hire a wedding planner, of course, or just follow a typical wedding planning timeline to get yourself on track and ready for your walk down the aisle.
Draw Design Inspiration
What will your colours be? What kind of flowers will you carry? Do you want a mermaid-style dress or a ball gown? You might have answers to these questions at the ready; if not, you can start looking for design inspiration to help you choose your wedding jewellery in all the familiar places.
Sites like Pinterest will help you come up with ideas for literally everything you could dream up for your wedding. You’ll find location ideas, decoration inspiration, colour combinations, hair-and-makeup looks, dream honeymoon destinations and more. Seriously, start a bridal inspiration Pinterest board of your own to see where your tastes lie.
This will be especially important when you head to the bridal shop to try on gowns for the first time. Envision your entire look — including the wedding jewellery you’ll wear aside from the rock on your finger — and keep your must-haves in mind as you shop. If you dream of wearing dramatic chandelier earrings, for example, you won’t want to pick up any other accessories to go with your gown. You’ll have to find up-do inspirations so your hair isn’t blocking your show-stopping jewellery.
Get Started
Now that you’ve had the celebration, drawn up a timeline and found your design inspiration, you’re ready to fully dive into planning. Again, this time will fly by, so don’t forget to pause, look around and really enjoy your wedding preparation. Before you know it, you’ll be walking down the aisle, so savour every moment.
For now, though, it’s time to start with step one: celebration. You’re newly engaged, after all.
